Eastern red-shirt sophomore striker Garet Christianson was shown a red card in the 53rd minute of the Panther’s Summit League matchup with Denver.

Three minutes later, the Pioneer’s red-shirt junior midfielder Reid Hukari slotted a shot into the bottom corner to score Denver’s first goal in the team’s 2-0 defeat of the Eastern men’s soccer team.

Denver (9-3-3) remained undefeated through all four of its conference games while Eastern (1-11-2) slips to 1-3-1 in the Summit League with only one league match remaining before the postseason tournament.

Despite remaining scoreless throughout the first 45 minutes, Denver controlled the match in Eastern’s defensive third. The Pioneers outshot the Panthers 20-2, the Eastern’s most lop-sided performance of the season.

Eastern head coach Adam Howarth stuck with a quicker lineup for Saturday’s game. It was a similar starting eleven that Eastern used to capture its only victory so far this season against Oral Roberts in week 4 of conference play.

However, the extra speed up the wings could not make up for the strength of Denver’s midfield led by senior Zach Bolden, the team’s top-scorer, who provided Hukari with service on his goal. The assist was Bolden’s his sixth of the season.

Denver was quick out of the blocks in the first half, peppering the goal with a flurry of shots through the first 15 minutes of the match before Eastern managed a single attempt towards goal.

The trend would stay the same until the end of the half.

Eastern was outshot 10-1 in the first period and little more than five minutes into the second half the match began to become stretched and disjointed.

After a series of fouls from Eastern, Christianson was sent off for a foul in the 53rd minute and a foul in retaliation just a couple minutes later saw two Denver players receive cautionary yellow cards from the center official.

Just three minutes later, Hukari scored to put Denver ahead by a goal in the 56th minute.

Denver proceeded to knock shots towards goal for the next 20 minutes before the Pioneers managed to break down the Eastern back line on another goal from close range.

Freshman forward Eric Kronenberg finished off the Panthers in the 76th minute to cap the match at 2-0.

Eastern will be back in action as they travel to Wisconsin for a midweek nonconference match up with the No. 38 ranked Badgers.

Michael Spencer can be reached at 581-2812 or tmspencer2@eiu.edu.